Sweet Pea (Preview)
by AjayRedonkulus
Summary: A preview to a set of stories centred around a very unusual girl walking the wastes.
1. Chapter 1

Leaning out the car window into the sweet summer breeze the girl took the fast food bag from the smiling employee. She set the bags carefully on her passenger seat, the smell of the onions and special sauce was just making her giddy, she bathed her face in the warming sun for just a moment. Turning her head while admiring the lush greenery all about her she smiled at the restaurant server, her soft voice seemed to mirror her joy,

"Thank you ever so much!"

Her smile began to fade as the server seemed to be mouthing something to her over and over again. A pain rushed through her skull, she grasped her forehead, the spinning had begun again, this endless dance between realities. She clenched her eyes tightly and then finally heard a voice, but not the voice she expected from the teenage drive-thru worker. Finally she opened her eyes, staring into the drive-thru window, or what was left of it. The scene within her head seemed to be parodied by what was now all around her. The smell of decay and the nearly entirely destroyed sign, which now read, "UR - F A T FOOD" created a scene of utter destruction.

"I said move along for gods sake!" Croaked the voice, finally at full volume and sounding very irked.

The ghoul at the window waved her off, annoyed that she had taken up so much of his time. She shook her head, cursing under her breath that the daydreams had become vivid once more. Realizing the car had never existed she began packing away the paper bag she had been handed by the ghoul, within was an assortment of wasteland products; without pausing the wanderer produced a syringe, injecting the vital stimpak into her shuddering body. Instant relief washed over her entire body, the pain vanished alongside her waning daydream, finally allowing her to stand without nearly collapsing.

Without risking losing daylight, with her backpack slung across her shoulder, the wanderer began to trot along the narrow dusty road, the faint glimmer of lights could be seen at the base of a nearby hill. Taking a deep breath she reconciled with the fact that it was going to be at least a days walk, and by the looks of the falling sun, night was fast approaching.

SNAP!

Turning on her heel the now petrified woman drew her pistol, firing into the dusk, the deafening bang of the shot rang out across the wide, vast plain. Opening the chamber she counted her bullets, moving slowly towards the source of the noise, she once again lifted the weapon taking careful aim. As she held her breath, ready to fire the trigger she caught sight of what had been behind her. The bloodied corpse, or what was left of a corpse lay scattered across the dusty earth, its pink hairless skin and rat-like shape made the wanderer smirk,

"One problem solved." She muttered to herself, preparing to salvage some meat from the slain animal.

Happy with her takings she holstered her pistol and began to walk once more, gazing up at the now dazzling starlight above her. Smiling to herself she crossed her arms, taking in the majesty of the celestial light show above her, the smell of fresh bread filled her nostrils and the taste of cherries filled her mouth.

"Say you'll always love me." Came the voice of a young man, she couldn't see him, or anything for that matter.

Slowly her vision returned, she wasn't sure how but before her was a dimly lit town, the night owls retreating to their nests while the morning workers began to turn on bathroom lights. She was sitting on a picnic blanket, gazing out from atop a steep hill, she felt as though she'd been here before.

"Sweet pea?" The voice came again, this time more insistent.

She gazed slowly towards the voice, unprepared for the rush of emotion she would embrace by looking at the face of this man. Her eyes welled up, and yet she did not know why they did so.

"Don't cry cutie pie, you'll get me started and you know it." His folksy accent seemed to be straight out of a radio advert but it soothed her, she felt safe.

"I can't see my best gal upset, lets watch the shower!" He said, wiping the tears from her cheeks, his touch was like the gentle heat from the summer sun.

As he spoke he began to turn her towards the town again, laying back against the hill, holding her close. He muttered again about the light show, a shooting star burst across the echoing night, yet seemed to be falling from the sky itself. She sat up, watching the star as it plummeted towards the town, without even a moment to scream, the object exploded causing a mushroom cloud to flume into the air. She clenched her eyes shut, waiting for the heat wave to melt her to her very core, yet she felt nothing. A moment passed and she could no longer here the noises of the hill, rather she heard a stream. Desperate to cling to the fantasy she was reluctant to open her eyes, yet the distinctive click of a gun made her stop in her tracks. Moving with extreme care the wanderer opened her eyes and reached her own pistol, but before her hand touched the handle, a voice boomed.

"Now let's not get any ideas, eh sweet pea?"


	2. Sweetpea - Pt I

With the gun at her back Sweetpea took a deep breath and without hesitation felt her body turn despite her followed only by the roaring bang of her would be murder weapon. With his pistol aimed to the sky and Sweetpea's hands around his neck the assailant grinned,

"Whoa babydoll, you gotta chill out."

Her hands recoiled, moist from the oozing skin of the worse for wear ghoul that had snuck upon her. Brushing off his hold ridden slacks the ghoul holstered his pathetic piece,

"You ran away again." The statement came with the tone of exhaustion, rather than anger.

"I had another dream Dean, I dreamt of the falling star." Sweetpea's words caused Dean to twitch; he pursed his lips, considering his words carefully. Finally he spoke, almost in a mutter,

"We talked about the falling stars. Enough about the fucking stars."

Silence surrounded the pair, not even the beasts in the plain uttered a peep.

"I can't go back Dean. I-… I won't." Sweetpea spoke with fear woven into every word; she shifted her stance raising her arms defensively.

"I'm not going to fight you kid." Dean's words were as condescending as the look on his face.

"No, you won't. Not anymore Dean."

Sweetpea lowered her hands. Dean frowned as Sweetpea moved, his eyes widened in terror as he reached desperately for the girl, "SWEE-!"

Sweetpea lowered her still warm revolver, the spray of blood dripping off her face mixing effortlessly with her steaming tears. Her piercing grey eyes focused only on the ghoul lying in front of her, the last lights of life dying swiftly in his eyes.

"Not anymore Dean."

As the sun slowly peaked over the irradiated hills Sweetpea finished brushing Dean's two hairs, setting them in place as if he were still with her. The ghoul was laid out on a makeshift blanket, weeds and leaves mimicked the grand bouquets of world of her dreams. Sweetpea gazed down at Dean before closing her eyes and inhaling the smell of embalming fluid. Wrinkling her nose she opened her eyes, surprised to see the plain was gone. Instead a small, musty room with a looming casket took its place. Sweetpea gazed at the face of the man in the coffin, the very sight of him caused her eyes to water but she did not know why.

"Cate, its time to say goodbye." Uttered a voice from the darkness in the hall.

Sweetpea without hesitation followed the sound into the abyss under the door frame, she knew the soft voice that had called her, and somehow she trusted it. Beyond the veil was a large hall filled with people draped in black trying desperately to appear as if they were consumed with grief. The preacher cried of the fiery judgement but Sweetpea only focused on the coffin, now on display for all to see. Without a seconds notice the congregations left the hall leaving the casket to slowly slide towards the maws of the engulfing furnace. The intense heat rushed towards Sweetpea, she threw her arms up to save herself but felt nothing.

By the time Sweetpea left her dream state she was walking on a paved road, the midday sun was blazing and the heat from her dream became understandable. Gazing back towards the plains she had travelled in her delusion she caught sight of a distant tower of smoke. Her mind began to go numb as she remembered what she had done, her senses consumed her and she began to run. Along the horizon was the settlement she had seen on the hill, no more than a day's walk away. No matter what, she had to find the meaning of the star.

The headaches that followed the dreams had slowly become more and more unbearable. No amount of jet can stall the pulsating agony forever; she had learnt this the hard way. Slumping against the first wall she found, panting like a rabid dog as the fatigue hit her. Rummaging in her bags she found her poison and drove the syringe hard into her thigh, a moan of sheer pleasure escaped into the clear blue sky.

As the pain began to subside Sweetpea's mind was free to consider all that had happened, all that she had done, and all that she might do. All alone against the crumbling wall, the lonely girl buried her head in her knees and began to weep.


End file.
